The extensive use of laboratory animals in various experiments has led to the design of numerous types of cages that can readily handle the animals with minor inconveniences to the personnel in the laboratory rooms. Hygienic ventilation systems have been developed which require permanent connections between air exhaust system and the multiple animal cages. An example of one such construction can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,383, Bruner. Another multiple cage ventilated system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,061, Connelly, where a number of animal cages are stacked and contained within an enclosure that has a ventilating means to exhaust air. Systems of this type, although providing a good ventilation system, have limited uses in that they are not readily moved from one laboratory room into another.
A portable system has been offered by Contamination Control, Incorporated, Kulpsville, Pa., and utilizes a portable laminar flow modular which is placed adjacent the rack of animal cages to draw air therethrough. Each modular contains a fan and multiple modulars are required for simultaneous use with multiple animal cage racks.
The ventilated animal cage rack of our system is portable and can be readily moved from one laboratory room to another with only a minimal amount of disconnections and connections. The rack has a plurality of shelves with each shelf supporting a number of animal cages which are removably suspended on the underneath side of the shelves. A main air duct is mounted on one end of the rack in a vertical fashion and has an opening adapted for connection to the conventional exhaust system that is a common fixture in most laboratory rooms. A branch air duct is provided in each shelf of the rack and these ducts are connected to the main air duct. An opening is provided in the branch duct directly over each suspended aniaml cage in order that air may flow through the cage which has a perforated section, into the shelf comprising the branch duct and eventually through the main exhaust system. In this manner animal odors are eliminated from the room, and each animal cage is isolated from adjacent cages in the rack. Instead of requiring a special room for containing the animal cage rack, it is now possible to place the rack in the same room where the laboratory experiments are being conducted.